If you've never had Leitz's Roseneck Spatlese, find a bottle from a recent ripe vintage (07? 09? 11?) - it's basically an Auslese, and conveys that same floral/opulent character that Wittmann's sweet wines have.

I have been informed that the son is making big changes here, for the better I believe. This is a very good wine for under $30 Cdn and I will buy more asap. Very good balance here, sweet, lots of complexity, excellent finish, melon, lemon tones. Was a treat with stuffed crab claws, loved the glass stopper.

Bob Parsons Alberta wrote:Had a wonderful evening at a new Chinese restaurant with some pals from the Yukon. I was allowed to bring in 2 German wines that I had previously enjoyed at a recent Xmas staff party!

`08 Emrich Schonleber Monzinger Holenberg Riesling R (Nahe).

Went quite well with Peking Duck courses. Medium lemon colour, great elegance and concentration. Pear, melon, pineapple very delicious.

I have been informed that the son is making big changes here, for the better I believe. This is a very good wine for under $30 Cdn and I will buy more asap. Very good balance here, sweet, lots of complexity, excellent finish, melon, lemon tones. Was a treat with stuffed crab claws, loved the glass stopper.

1998 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Spätlese Auction started off a bit soft but really picked up focus with air and was a nice elegant package by the end of the evening. I went back and forth between that and the 1999 JJ Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese which was a bit round from the vintage but pumped out so much of that lovely JJ Prum ethereal lace texture that my tongue kept coming back for more.

I was less enamored of the 1994 Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese which seemed hollow, awkward and past it, although it wasn't terrible to drink and was a perfectly acceptable (maybe even delicious) accompaniment to food.

1981 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar RuwerThe sense of weightlessness and the delicate touch here are hard to describe. Elegant would be an understatement; this just seems to float on the palate with gentle Mosel fruit, lemon cream, mature smoky notes and higher toned herbal elements all coming together harmoniously, and conveyed with such precision and focus. The presence and length here are remarkable - this is a wine that stays with you long after each sip. Truly amazing Kabinett.

2006 Weingut Keller Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Abtserde ("Abtse®.de") Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, RheinhessenThe first thing that stands out here is the power and breadth, but there's also tremendous complexity and a remarkably glossy, polished texture in the mouth. It doesn't have the piercingly vivid mineral character the other GGs show; this comes across riper with the fruit almost verging on the tropical, and conveying more intensity than elegance. It's compelling to drink though with amazing depth, though there's just a touch of warmth on the back end. Auction bottling, from magnum.

2008 Weingut Keller Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Abtserde ("Abtse®.de") Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, RheinhessenI wasn't that excited by this when I had it a couple of years ago but it comes across a lot more polished and elegant now; it's not as powerful or intense a wine as the '06, and actually needs quite some time in the glass to open up - but when it does, there's a beautiful fragrance combining fresh orchard fruits, high toned herbal elements, stony and briny notes, and a sense of wonderful purity and focus on the palate with amazing depth and length. A real wow wine.

2010 Weingut Keller Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Abtserde ("Abtse®.de") Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, RheinhessenAstonishing how well balanced and elegant this is given the vintage. There's certainly plenty of acidity here, but it's not aggressive and rather is integrated beautifully with the layers of fruit, floral, herbal and mineral flavors here. Fascinating to have this after the flight of the 2008 and 2006 Abtserde GGs, as in terms of intensity and ripeness it's somewhere in between - richer and deeper than the '08 (though not showing quite the same delicate touch on the palate), at the same time not as powerful, broad and intense as the '06, while showing very similar flavours to both.

2010 Weingut Keller Riesling G-Max - Germany, RheinhessenQuite a contrast to the 2010 Abtserde GG; this is rather flamboyant in comparison with a surprisingly exotic floral and herbal perfume, amazing depth on the palate and a sense of real sappiness to the citrus and white fruited flavours here. It seems like a riper and bigger wine, but while quite powerful there's a remarkable sense of finesse here with the acids balancing it very well and keeping it so light on its feet, and a finish that just goes on and on. Stunning wine.

2004 Weingut Keller Riesling G-Max - Germany, RheinhessenStill very primary and youthful, there's an almost oceanic character to the aromas with a vivid saline, briny character dominating, and pure citrus, pear and stone fruit beneath tinged with herbs and stone. Power with a sense of Wonderful purity and elegance, and again, such remarkable length.

2002 Weingut Keller Riesling G-Max - Germany, RheinhessenJust starting to show some developing creamy flavours around the core of youthful ripe fruit and minerality. There's more complexity here apparent than in the other two G-Max vintages poured with a compelling, remarkably layered fragrance here, but at the same time it seems to trade finesse for power here, showing incredible intensity and persistence but not the lightness and elegance that made the 2010 so striking for me.

1981 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar RuwerSeems to pick up where the Kabinett left off; the same complex, mature Mosel flavours and sense of harmony, and again such elegance and lightness on the palate. This is a little deeper and broader than the Kabinett, yet again so precise, delicate and thrilling to drink.

1983 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel - Germany, Mosel Saar RuwerOh, wow. The aromatics immediately suggest something much sweeter, honeyed and almost candied in contrast to the regular Auslese; the fruit seems riper and more intense here, more peachy with tinges of marzipan and lemon candy around it, and there's such complexity with endless layers of fruit, honey, flowers and mature smoky, creamy and burnished flavour elements. The balance and finesse here are absolutely stunning, and even though it's much riper than the regular Auslese, it still retails that sense of sheer drinkability that makes these wines so thrilling and compelling.

1997 Weingut Keller Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel - Germany, RheingauFrom magnum. If I recall correctly, Klaus Peter says he made this while at Geisenheim. It's rich and powerful in that Rheingau way, there's a sense of solidity and chewiness to the fruit here, opulent honeyed, floral and smoky accents to the fruit and bright acids that keep it lively and nicely balanced despite its size. Really nice.

1976 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Beerenauslese - Germany, Mosel Saar RuwerOff the charts amazing. I don't know where to begin to describe this. Cloudy orange-gold in the glass, with one of the most complex, layered and hypnotic aromas I've ever smelled in a wine. This has it all - layers of fruit, spice, honey, florality, minerality, and it'd be impossible to catalog the hundred different flavours in here. It's intensely sweet but so shockingly elegant and light on its feet, with piercing acidity keeping it so precise, focused and that magic Prüm lightness of touch again making it so absurdly easy to drink. It's an intense, layered dessert wine with all the elegance and sheer drinkability of the '81 Kabinett that this dinner started with, and the length is just absurd - it just resonates on and on for minutes after each sip. One of the greatest wines I've ever experienced in my life; wow would be an understatement.

Age can do many things to Riesling. Sometimes it is taken over by aromas that have little to do with wine, while other times the essence of Riesling is laid bare. This is one of the latter. Certainly the vintage, with its notable botrytis, has a hand here, but the core of the wine is lingering fruit overlaying a salty, mineral base. With the botrytis layered on top, it's as if the entire wine was coated with a thin layer of honey and then lit on fire. It's flambeed but not obscured. A subtle sweetness remains - this is auslese after all, and completes the picture, as it balances the acidity such that neither is apparent, but both are clearly present. This is at peak, at peace and a record of how these wines used to taste.

I'm so grateful for those late-released parcels from CSW. The wines have been so, so good, and I'm glad I at least have another case+ remaining of the '01 Auslese, which will make up for my not buying enough of the '95.

And, would you believe it? I'm opening a '95 Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Auslese Riesling Fuder (45?) Auslese in the next day or so ... for this month's marvellously themed wine focus. What a great read this month! And still over a week to go.

And .... Salil - you are one lucky mongrel! (As Salil is part Australian, this preceding seemingly offensive comment should be taken as us true blue Aussie's actually mean it - with due respect but with great envy - Salil will back me up on this - won't you cobber? ) Great notes, too, by the way.

2008 Weingut Keller Westhofener Morstein Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, RheinhessenWow! Out of the horizontal of '08 Keller dry wines at our table, this was the most impressive for me - such depth of fruit, minerality, smoky and herbal accents emerging with air, and a remarkable combination of power and finesse with amazing length.

2008 Weingut Keller Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Abtserde ("Abtse®.de") Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, RheinhessenNice to revisit this a night after the EMP dinner, though it again feels rather youthful and a little closed. At this dinner, I wasn't able to give it as much time and air as at EMP, and it didn't show quite the same depth, but it's still very impressive - incredibly pure fruit, fresh herbs and a vivid briny/saline element beneath, and very well balanced with amazing length.

2008 Weingut Keller Riesling G-Max - Germany, RheinhessenA broader, more powerful expression of Riesling than the Abtserde and Morstein. Despite the hype about this bottling, I think I preferred those two wines in 2008 - the balance on this is stunning with amazing power, depth and length, though it doesn't show quite the same finesse and elegance as the Abtserde or Morstein. There's a spectrum of fruit ranging from tarter lemony flavours to riper peach and other stone fruits, a vivid mineral base beneath and a very polished, almost creamy texture. A remarkable wine, though for me this was more impressive than charming.

2006 Weingut Keller Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Abtserde ("Abtse®.de") Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, RheinhessenFrom jeroboam (thanks Robert!), and it comes across more fresh and youthful than the '06 Abtserde that was served the previous evening at EMP. The alcoholic heat I noticed then wasn't as noticeable here, though it still feels like a very big wine, and while fantastic now, I'm not sure how gracefully this will age given its ripeness and alcohol.

1995 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar RuwerSuch a delicate, ethereal Kabinett - there's such a sense of lightness and purity to the fruit here; classic Mosel apples and pear with some developing smokiness and lemon cream notes, and just barely a trace of perceptible sweetness.

2001 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar RuwerNice to encounter this again after my only bottle a couple of years ago was corked. Thanks David. It comes across very youthful and primary still, not showing the same developed complexity as the '97, but it's made of the same material with fantastic purity of fruit, great balance and a really crystalline palate presence, and I imagine this will only keep getting better over the next few years.

2002 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese - Germany, NaheSolid, but not particularly interesting. Well balanced, but this just struggled on a table with some tremendous Rieslings. Mainly opened to contrast with the corresponding Auction Spätlese, which blew this away.

2002 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Rutsch Riesling Spätlese Auction - Germany, NaheWhat a contrast from the regular Spatlese. This is absolutely electric. Opulent and flamboyant with ripe floral-tinged peach, orange and white cherry, but underneath the acidity is just off the charts and keeps this so vibrant and nervy. Even though it has the richness and sweetness of modern Auslese, it's so elegant and light on its feet. Riesling with the voltage turned way, way up.

1966 Schloss Reinhartshausen Erbacher Bruhl Riesling Spätlese - Germany, RheingauOh, wow. Such a complex, haunting fragrance with mature fruit, honey, smoky, herbal and more savoury burnished notes all coming together, and just an incredible regal presence on the palate - it's powerful and still very fresh at this age, yet at the same time there's an amazingly delicate touch and a polished, glossy texture. The finish is remarkable - this just stays with you, and the flavours keep unfolding long after each sip. Utterly amazing wine.

1985 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel - Germany, Mosel Saar RuwerSofter and more creamy than the '90 (not surprisingly), but still quite delicious with a spectrum of ripe Mosel fruit, honey, spice and maturing smokiness and fusel notes coming together on a medium weight frame. It's very polished and graceful on the palate, finishing long though it does leave me wanting just a touch more acidity.

1998 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese - Germany, PfalzAmazingly vivid and fiery Rieslaner that just woke my palate right back up late in the evening after a lot of Riesling. A core of ripe apricots and tropical fruits seasoned with flamboyant high toned spicy notes and some developed burnished elements, so powerful, vibrant and long. Those old Catoirs are just fantastic.

After a while, I wasn't even trying to keep track of the wines, and in other cases (the 1971 Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr TBA or a '73 Steinberger BA-Eiswein), I had and still have no words - the '71 Prum TBA was absurd beyond words.And I'll also add that perhaps for the Donnhoff-doesn't-age crowd, a trio of '98 Spatlesen from Brucke, Hermannshohle and Kupfergrube were all quite lovely, and a '90 Brucke Auslese was very pretty, savoury, mature and polished.

A few recent rieslings. The Thanisch just squeaked past the St Urbans-Hof, but both were awesome. It was definitely nice to try a feinherb style for a change; lean and racy rather than rich and ultra sweet, like most 'fruity' wines now...

2005 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben Müller-Burggraef) Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (1/13/2013)Didn't take notes, but I served this with crab cakes last night. The crab cakes were very good, but the wine was great! Great pairing too. The wine had a great combination of power and balance. Viscous but light in the mouth, lots of lime, nectarines, pineapple, etc, and good minerality. Nice long finish. Tasty now, but will only get better. (A-/A)

2004 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (1/1/2013)Hazy notes from last night. Lots of honeyed pineapple, mango and nectarines on the rich palate. A bit more acidity would be nice, but still a very nice wine with good concentration and harmony. Just starting to come together, but will last years yet. (B+/A-)

I mentioned in a previous post, I was going to open one of my Von Schubert numbered Abstberg Auslese's from 1995, but noticed a weeping cork in this bottle in the same box, so, as is my policy, leakers always get drunk first.

Garnishing a spectacularly bright, burnished pale gold colour, this outstanding wine offers a smorgasboard of aromas that includes freshly cut crispy green apples, mango, peaches, apricot, cream, honey, redcurrant, lemon merangue, lime and salty minerals. The palate's a virtual rehash of the vast array of exotic flavours that were noted in the bouquet. Lavish and compelling in nature this decadent riesling swells into the mid-palate with gusto than settles with smoothness and great resolution from deftly-judged acidity on the dramatic and lengthy back end. These great German white's are almost enigmatic given their incredible extract and lusciousness yet are almost always light on their feet and just so easy and delightful to drink by themselves on a very warm summer's afternoon. 93 with a drinking plateau of at least 10, perhaps even 20 years?

Last edited by David Lole on Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:35 am, edited 1 time in total.